Fire-net.



0. H. DENNIS.

FIRE NET APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1911.

-2 r mm m Hm 8 m e 6 8 w M s E r m m 1 COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH (20., WASHINGTON. D. c.

c. 11. DENNIS.

FIRE NET.

APPLIUATION TILED MAY 18, 1.911.

Patented Feb.27,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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INVENTOR 4 ,g Allomey,

COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPH CO-.\VASHINOTON. DEC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE H. DENNIS, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-NET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE H. DENNIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Nets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to devices for catching persons leaping from a burning building, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this kind so constructed and arranged'that danger of persons leaping on to the same bouncing off or being injured by striking against the supports there of will be avoided.

The invention further has for its object to provide an apparatus which will serve as a substitute for a fire net rendering it unnecessary to be held by a number of firemen, and which can be readily assembled and taken apart.

The invention further has for its object to provide an apparatus to receive persons jumping from a burningbuilding so con structed and arranged as to safely receive a person jumping on the same and permit said persons to land therein without injury or shock.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:-Figure 1 is a plan view with parts broken away and removed showing an apparatus for receiving persons leaping from a burning building in position for use. Fig. 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 in cross section on the line 22, thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail View of a portion of one of the posts of the apparatus having a pair of brace arms. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of one of the posts of the apparatus, partly in vertical section and broken away showing a construction for giving a cushioning effect to said posts.

In carrying out the invention a diskshaped fabric 1 preferably consisting of canvas, is employed, of suitable width and formed with a central circular opening 2 of a size sufficient for the passage of a human being. The sheet of canvas when set up is inclined downward toward the central opening 2 at a suitable angle and is mounted upon posts 3 of sufficient length to extend vertically a suitable distance from the ground. The sheet of canvas 1 has secured to its outer edge a folded strip of canvas 4 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 18,

Patented Feb. 2'7, 1912.

1911. Serial No. 627,940.

in which is located a ring 5 of soft material, either rubber tubing or rope, so as to afiord a soft edge for the outer edge of the canvas 1 which would not injure a person who happened to alight thereon. The sheet of canvas 1 is secured to the top of the post 3 by means of straps 6, each of said straps 6 extending through a steel ring 7, the ends of the strap 6.lying between the folded edges of the strip of canvas 4 and being secured therewith to the edge of the sheet of canvas 1 by a rivet 8, each of said straps 6 passing through a hole 9 in the canvas 1. The rings 7 connected to the straps 6- engage the hooks 10 on the top of the post 3, said hooks 10 being bent outward thereby preventing the rings 7 being detached therefrom.

The canvas 1 and the posts 3 are held in position and are braced by diagonal metallic brace bars 11 each formed with a hook 12 at each end, the hook 12 at the outer end engaging a ring 13 on the ring 14: clamped to the post 3 and the bar 11 having its inner ends engaging a ring 15 mounted on a ring 16, preferably consisting of a rubber tube in order to be soft and avoid injuring the person landing on the canvas 1. The ring 16 is connected to the edge of the canvas 1 at the central opening 2 by means of a folded I strip or canvas 17 secured to the edge of the 5 canvas 1 and inclosing a ring 18 of soft ma- Iterial such as rubber tubing or rope, said folded strip 17 and ring 18 having connected thereto a series of coil springs 18 connecting said strip with the ring 14 and thereby affording a resilient connection so as to permit the canvas at the edge of the opening 2 to have a yielding motion when struck by a lheavy body. Each of theposts 3 is provided at its upper end with a pair of brace arms 19 extending at an angle or slightly curved so as to conform to the periphery of the canvas 1. These arms 19 serve as braces, and are shown as formed of metal riveted to the post 3 but may be of tubing, if prehas adjacent to its outer end an outwardly Zcurved hook 20 to which is detachably se- 1 cured a ring 7. It will be seen that by means of this construction, as shown in Fig. 1, the outer edge of the canvas 1 is securely held in position when mounted on the posts 3.

In order that the posts 3 may yield vertically so as to relieve a person jumping on to l the-canvas from shock a cushioning device ferred. secured to the post 3. Each arm 19 is provided for each post preferably constructed as follows :-The upper part of each post 3 is formed with a tube 21 and the lower part with a rod 22 which telescopes into the tube 21 and has a lateral projecting pin 23 which is located in a slot 24 in the tube 21. The lower end of the tube 21 is formed with a flange 25 against which abuts one end of a coil spring 26 encircling the rod 22 the other end of said coil spring resting on a flange 27 on the rod 22. It will be seen that by means of this construction when a heavy body strikes the canvas 1 the posts 3 will yield downwardly compressing the springs 26, and when the canvas is relieved of the weight the springs 26 will restore the posts to their normal position.

The lower end of the post3 is formed with an enlargement 28 which serves as a foot rest for holding down the apparatus to brace the same when in use, a number of firemen each having a foot on one of the rests 28-, thus being able to steady the apparatus. Projecting from each of the foot rests 28 is a forked curved arm 29 in which is mounted a roller 30.

. Located beneath the canvas 1 and having its upper end adjacent to the central opening 2 is a canvas chute 31 folded so as to nearly form a tube from its upper end down to a point adjacent to its lower end. The upper end of the canvas chute 31 is secured by means of snap hooks 32 to rings 33 on the ring 14. The canvas chute 31 curves down from the opening 1 and extends to one side of the apparatus and then curves upward a certain distance where it is secured between two of the posts 3 by means of hooks 34 fastened on a cross bar 35 secured to the end of the canvas chute 31, said hooks 34 engaging a cross bar 36 having its ends mounted in two of the posts 3. This vertical end extension of the canvas chute 31 serves as a buffer or bumper to stop a person carried down through the chute 31. Secured transversely to the chute 31 at intervals apart from each other are curved slats 37 which are bowed so as to be secured attheir ends to the chute 31 and to be slightly spaced apart from the chute 31 between their ends thereby when the chute is distended by the weight of a body passing through the same serving as braces for the canvas of the chute which is brought against them.

In addition to the diagonal armsll the posts 3 and the ring 14 are braced by means of guy ropes 38 adjustable by means of adjusting blocks 39 and connected at the outer end by a snap hook 40 with a ring 41 on the lower end of a post 3 and connected at the inner end to a ring on the ring 14. The chute 31 is also braced by means of guy ropes 41 which are connected to the chute, at one end in any suitable manner and by snap hooks 40 at the other end engaging the rings 41.

It will be seen that by means of the apparatus constructed as hereinbefore described that means are provided whereby a person jumping from a burning building will land safely on the top of the apparatus, and danger of bouncing off of the same will be avoided, the body of the person jumping on and striking the canvas 1 being carried down to the opening 2 and through the same on to the chute 31 where the person is carried to the end of said chute and brought up against the bumper.

By means of this construction a person does not have to be lifted ofi of the body of the apparatus as is the case with fire nets held by firemen, the person arriving at the end of the chute being easily removed therefrom.

Of course, netting may be employed in lieu of the canvas 1.

The apparatus when folded together may be readily conveyed to the place where it is to be used and quickly set up the canvas 1 being laid on the ground and hooked to the posts 3 which are then raised and secured in braced position by means of the brace arms 11 and the guy ropes. The chute is then secured in position and braced by the guy ropes. The apparatus being set up it can be moved on the rollers and pushed to any position desired.

That I claim is 1. A fire escape comprising a framework consisting of a number of posts, a circular sheet of fabric having a central opening and mounted on said posts, said sheet of fabric being inclined downward toward said central opening, brace connections connecting the edge of said fabric at said central open-' ing with said posts, and a flexible chute secured at its upper end to the edge of said central opening and extending through the side of the apparatus.

2. A fire escape comprising a framework, a central sheet of fabric having a central opening and mounted on the top of said framework, brace connections connecting the edge of said fabric about said opening with said framework, and a flexible chute connected at its upper end to the edge of said opening and extending to the side of the apparatus and formed at its outer end with a bumper.

3. A fire escape comprising a circular sheet of fabric having a central opening, a number of posts supporting said circular sheet of fabric, and a curved flexible chute located beneath said sheet of fabric and connected at its upper end to the edge of said fabric at said opening and extending to the side of said apparatus and upward and secured in position to form a bumper.

4. A fire escape comprising a plurality of posts, a circular sheet of fabric having a central opening and secured to a support by said posts, said sheet of fabric inclining downward toward its central opening, a flexible chute secured at its upper end to said sheet of fabric beneath said opening and curving downward and extending laterally to and secured to a pair of posts and curved transverse slats located beneath said chute and secured at the ends thereto and spaced therefrom between the ends.

5. A fire escape comprising a plurality of posts, each having a hook at its upper end, an inwardly inclined circular sheet of fabric having a central opening, straps secured at intervals to the outer edge of said sheet of fabric, each of said straps having a ring engaging a hook on a post, a ring located beneath said fabric, and secured thereto adjacent to the edge of the central opening therein, brace bars detachably engaging at one end with said ring and at the other end with a post, guy ropes connecting said posts with said ring, and a flexible chute detachably connected at its upper end to said ring and detachably connected at its other en to a pair of posts.

6. A fire escape comprising a plurality of posts, a circular sheet of fabric having a central opening, and detachably secured to said posts at its outer edge and inclined downward toward said central opening, a ring located beneath said sheet of fabric adjacent to said opening, springs connecting said ring with said sheet of fabric, brace arms detachably connected at each end to said ring and the posts, guy ropes detachably connecting said ring and said posts, and a flexible chute detachably connected at its upper end to said ring, and extending laterally to the side of the apparatus and detachably connected to a pair of posts.

7 A fire escape comprising a plurality of posts formed in sections, the upper section of each post being yieldingly mounted upon the lower section, each of said posts having a hook at its upper end, a circular sheet of fabric having a central opening, and inclined downward toward said central opening, a ring secured to the outer edge of said fabric, straps located at intervals apart and secured to said fabric and to said ring, each of said straps having a ring engaging a hook on the top of a post, a ring located beneath and yieldingly connected to the edge of said ably connected at its upper end to said ring beneath the fabric and having hooks at its other end, a bar extending bet-ween the pair of posts with which said hooks are engaged, and guy ropes connected to said chute and said posts.

8. A fire escape comprising a plurality of posts each having adjacent to its lower end an enlargement serving as a foot rest, each of said posts being formed in sections, the upper section resting 011 a spring on the lower section, a circular sheet of fabric having acentral opening and detachably secured at its outer edge to said posts, a ring located beneath said fabric adjacent to said opening and yieldingly connected therewith, brace bars detachably connected to said ring and to said posts, guy ropes detachably con nected to said ring and to said posts, a flexible chute detachably connected at its upper end to said ring, and detachably-connected at its outer end to a pair of posts, and guy ropes detachably connected to said chute and said posts.

9. A fire escape comprising a plurality of posts, each having a pair of brace arms at its top provided with hooks, and a hook at the top of the post, a circular sheet of fabric having a central opening, and having rings at its outer edge detachably connected to said post-s and brace arms, said sheet of fabric inclining downward toward its central opening, a ring located beneath said fabric adjacent to said opening and connected therewith by flexible connections,

braces connecting said ring with said posts,

a rod connecting a pair of said posts, and a flexible chute detachably connected at its upper end to said rings beneath the fabric and having hooks at its outer end detachably connected to said rod connecting said posts. 7 In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLAUDE H. DENNIS. Witnesses:

ALBERT M. WALKER, LAURA R. RUEDE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

